The people brought us from the court ram-skin coats, and breeches of the
same, with shoes, which my companion and interpreter accepted, but I
thought the fur garment which I brought from Baatu was sufficient for me.
On the 5th of January, we were brought to the court, and some Nestorian
priests, whom I did not know to be Christians, came and asked me which way
we worshipped; to which I said, that we worshipped to the east. The reason
of their making this demand was, that we had shaven our heads by the advice
of our guide, that we might appear before the khan after the fashion of our
country, which made the Nestorians take us for Tuinians or idolaters. On
being demanded what reverence we would pay to the khan, I said, that though
as priests, dedicated to God, the highest in our country did not suffer us
to bow the knee, yet we were willing to humble ourselves to all men for the
sake of the Lord. That we came from a far country, and with permission,
would first sing praises to God, who had brought us hither in safety, and
should afterwards do whatever might please the khan; providing he commanded
nothing that was derogatory to the worship and honour of God. Then they
went into the presence, and reported what we had said, and they brought us
before the entrance of the hall, lifting up the felt which hung before the
decor, and we sung A solis ortus cardine, &c.
When we had sung this hymn, they searched our bosoms, to see that we had no
concealed weapons, and they made our interpreter leave his girdle and knife
with one of the doorkeepers. When we came in, our interpreter was made to
stand at a sideboard, which was well supplied with cosmos, and we were
placed on a form before the ladies. The whole house was hung with cloth of
gold, and on a hearth, in the middle, there was a fire of thorns, wormwood-
roots, and cowdung. The khan sat upon a couch covered with a bright and
shining spotted fur, like seal's skin. He was a flat-nosed man, of middle
stature, about forty-five years of age, and one of his wives, a pretty
little young woman, sat beside him; likewise one of his daughters, named
Cerina, a hard-favoured young woman, with some younger children, sat on
another couch next to them. The house had belonged to the mother of Cerina,
who was a Christian, and the daughter was mistress of this court, which had
belonged to her deceased mother, We were asked whether we would drink wine
of caracina, which is a drink made of rice, or caracosmos, or ball,
which is mead made of honey; for they use these four kinds of liquor in
winter. I answered, that we had no pleasure in drink, and would be
contented with what he pleased to order; on which we were served with
caracina, which was clear and well flavoured like white wine, of which I
tasted a little out of respect.
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